Meet Elysha Joy Sideman | Jewelry Artist & Sculptor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elysha Joy Sideman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elysha, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have always been an observer, a collector and a maker. I grew up on a small island surrounded by nature. I have collected shells, rocks and other intriguing objects for as long as I could walk along the shorelines. I have grown gardens, watching patiently as seeds peek through the surface of the softened soil, sprout, and eventually grow into colorful flowers. I have used my hands to paint, mold clay, wrap wire, form metal, shape stone and pull paper. It is here that I find joy. Learning a variety of craft techniques over the years lead me to my current way of experimenting with and manipulating natural materials and combining them with the treasures I find. I know that I need to create in order to process and communicate my experiences with the world around me. Because of this I always knew I would pursue an artistic career. Being a rather shy and quiet person, I feel understood when I see others happily engage with or lovingly wear my work. I chose a career as a jeweler because of the significance jewelry holds for the wearer, whether that be as a statement of self-expression or as a representation of a meaningful moment in one’s life. They are objects one wears, in some cases, for the entirety of their lives and to be the one who fabricated something that important to another person is extremely rewarding. I feel very lucky that I can exist between two very different worlds of adornment; both traditionally as a goldsmith, creating one of a kind custom jewelry that is both a combination of my aesthetic and the vision of whom I am creating for, but also in the realm of wearable art jewelry that is entirely of my own artistic revelation.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have a very dear friend who likes to introduce me and my artwork by telling people “there’s mother nature, and then there’s Elysha” and I think it is one of the most flattering comparisons anyone could make about me as a creative. My intent is to bring more thoughtful appreciation to the natural world around us. In daily life I notice the smallest of things around me, tiny mushrooms nestled in moss, a delicate bird bone, a rock flecked with crystal growths, things I imagine most people simply pass by. I either have to take these findings back to my studio and add them to my collections or make a mental note to let them inform my work later. I see looks of awe and inquisition when people first come into my studio. It is filled floor to ceiling with my collections, tools and my work. I am often asked if something is “real” or if I created it. It took me a very long time to develop bodies of work that felt entirely my own, that fully blend my two creative career paths believably. On the one path I work full time as a bench jeweler. I do chain repairs, solder charm bracelets, size rings, create custom engagement rings and more. I am a metalsmith that has studied beside a master jeweler for the past 17 years. I am a goldsmith who interprets the ideas and desires of clients taking raw metal and gemstones and turning them into heirlooms. On another path I am a mixed media sculptor. I forge metal skeletons and adorn them with shiny resins and glass beads. I break down organic materials to pull into sheets of translucent paper that are then manipulated and transformed back into representations of the living things they once were. I am a listener and observer; in my studio these two worlds begin to blend together.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I was born and raised on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. My career took me between Boston and New York for a time before I returned back to the small island. While much has changed since my childhood, I find refuge in the natural beauty of this place. Despite Martha’s Vineyard being a tourist destination, the island is blessed with many land preserves. These natural places allow public access and are among my favorite places to wander. The forests and streams that open up to the Atlantic ocean remind me of quieter times on the island. The Vineyard has collected a variety of creatives from wooden boat builders to printmakers and glassblowers. After an inspiring visit to see local artists studio spaces I’d take my friends to eat a fantastic meal at Mo’s Lunch, a small sandwich shop run by dear friends with immense talent and no ego. We would finish the day at the beach watching the sun set and then enjoying a night swim with bioluminescence.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My time at The Massachusetts College of Art and Design proved to be a very formative part of my life as an artist. It was here that I was encouraged to think more critically and conceptually about my work. One of the first, more conceptual projects I made at MassArt was in response to my mother’s battle with breast cancer. I began looking at macro photography of cell structures in an attempt to piece together and understand what was happening to her body. While working through these ideas, Professor Dyan McClimmon-Miller encouraged me to play and experiment with non-traditional materials, specifically exploring natural fibers and handmade paper. I continued to reference the cellular motif in my work combining fibers with traditional metalsmithing. It was during this time my professors, Joe Wood and Heather White, gifted me the book “Microcosmos” by Brandon Broll. We are all taught that cells are the building blocks of life, but to see it so clearly and beautifully illustrated in this little photography book, unlocked something for me. I became fascinated with my discovery that every living thing, when viewed under extreme magnification, is built upon repeating patterns. Butterfly wings to tree branches, cross sections of plant stems to human bones. It was because of the time spent with these professors and the inspiration I found in this book that I began to develop my current studio practice.

Website: www.elyshajoymetals.com

Instagram: @elyshajoymetals

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elyshajoymetals

Image Credits
Cory Ann Ellis, Brian Kelly, Josh Robinson White, Joe Mikos